This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.

The March 2014 issue of Research Activities was the last issue of the monthly newsletter. AHRQ is transitioning to a new quarterly thematic publication that will provide longer, more in-depth analyses of individual topics related to AHRQ’s four priority areas. This new publication will be available online in the Fall.

Research Activities readers will still be able to access published studies by AHRQ and AHRQ-supported researchers on the AHRQ Research Studies Web page, which will be online later this Spring. Studies can be accessed by first author, publication date, and key word.

Thanks to all our readers over the years who have told us how much they have enjoyed the newsletter. We hope our new quarterly publication will be equally useful in learning more about AHRQ and the field of health services research!

Research Activities, March 2012, No. 379

Storytelling, which is emerging as a powerful tool for health promotion in vulnerable populations, is a novel approach being used to help blacks make the lifestyle changes necessary to lower blood pressure. A new study found that black patients who watched story segments on DVDs of others sharing their stories about high blood pressure helped them make substantial improvements in their own blood pressure. A total of 299 blacks with hypertension were selected from an inner-city clinic in the South. Of these, 147 were assigned to the storytelling intervention, while the other 152 were assigned to the usual-care group.

Those in the intervention group received three DVDs; the first one they watched in the clinic, and the other two were sent to their home. Blood pressure was measured initially, and again at 3, 6, and 9 months later. Each DVD contained various patients with hypertension, who discussed how they lived with high blood pressure, and offered tips on how to adhere to medications, talk to the doctor, avoid hidden salt, and increase exercise. Participants randomized into the usual-care group received a DVD containing local news health messages unrelated to hypertension.

Most of the participants were women (71.4 percent) with an average age of 53.7 years. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension assigned to the intervention group showed an 11-mm Hg greater reduction in systolic blood pressure than the usual- care group and meaningful reduction in diastolic blood pressure by 3 months. Blood pressure subsequently increased for both groups, but the relative advantage of the storytelling intervention persisted at 6 and 9 months. Patients in the intervention group reported watching at least 1 video segment from each of the 3 DVDs for a total of 87.5 minutes viewing time. The study was supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HS19353).